1 of 22Jan. 20

Poet Elizabeth Alexander commemorated the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president with "Praise Song for the Day," a straightforward collection of couplets that conveyed a sense of, yes, hope for the future. "In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, any thing can be made, any sentence begun. On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp, praise song for walking forward in that light," she proclaimed.